Little Effort, Big Adventure
by Astorinx
Summary: Astro goes on an adventure of a lifetime traveling around to new locations and, meeting new people to discover their ways of living
1. Chapter One

Little Effort, Big Adventure

 **Chapter 1: Chapter One**

Sitting at the dining room table one last time before they had to leave, they felt a bit weird.

It was almost a sense of self-awareness, more so in premature anticipation of nostalgia when they'd return kinda way.

And nothing was more satisfying than knowing they were the only one awake so far, thus having a few moments of silence before—

Footsteps.

Who could it be?

They peered over to see the stairs, but the only light on was in the kitchen, so it was obviously dark, unable to see.

Soon, what now appeared to be a shadowy figure walked towards the kitchen.

"Astro?" They asked.

Astro perked up after having stared at the table for a while.

"Professor?"

"You're up early…" The professor opened the fridge and scavenged for his pitcher of iced tea.

"Well, I want to get there on time," casually clicking their heels together, they saw the professor pour himself iced tea and then sit down at the opposite end of the table.

"You know you don't have to be there until 8."

Astro shrugged, "better early and ready than late and unprepared."

O'shay almost chuckled as he shook his head, "I guess so…"

…

In their room, Astro was packing up things into their bag. They were fishing around to find the cable to their phone.

"Under the desk? They pushed an office chair aside to see if the cable was there.

They reached their arm out and felt around, to no avail.

They sighed in disappointment before attempting to get up.

"Ow!" They accidentally hit their head against the desk.

Another sigh, "maybe I should just leave my phone here…"

They looked over at their bed for a moment, "But I just finished making my Blotify playlist…"

"Hmmmmm…. it's gotta be…"

They went on a search frenzy once they had an idea of where it could've been

…

"Okay… I gotta think long and hard about this— ha, that's what she said— **AHEM**! _No one heard that_ …"

"It's not by my desk, not by my bed… not…"

The door suddenly opened.

"Oh, hey sib! Thanks for letting me borrow your charger!" Someone had burst into Astro's room with their charger in their hand.

"Uran? _You_ had my charger?" Astro sounded annoyed.

"Uhhhhhh…." Uran froze.

Astro sighed, "I need this for my trip." They got up and snatched the cable from her.

"Aw, you're leaving for real? I thought you were just saying that to scare me into behaving…"

"Hmmm, _well_ — didn't work anyways…"

Uran laughed, "try harder next time, okay?" She touched their shoulder with a faux-sympathetic smile before running off to her room.

Astro had given up on responding, and instead after packing their charger, left their room to go see O'shay.

They knocked on his door, and when hearing an all clear, they walked inside.

"Can you tell Uran to stop stealing my stuff?" They asked in annoyance.

"And why can't you?" O'shay replied, getting up from his desk chair.

"Ugh– she won't take me seriously!"

O'shay walked over to Astro and put a hand on their shoulder, "Maybe _you_ need to be more serious, you've gotta give her a good foundation or else she's not going to learn– but nevermind that…" He removed his hand and headed out of the room, "We have to get going."

Astro sighed in a deadpan tone with a tilted face.

At least this wouldn't be a problem once they left.

…

"Ugh! You better take pictures while you're gone!" Uran folded her arms.

"I know I know," Astro gestured to her in a dismissive manner.

"I'm sure Astro will take _lots_ of photos when they leave, and possibly show us when they come back," O'shay adjusted the rearview mirror.

"Well, I just wanted to be sure!"

Astro sighed.

"You have everything, correct?"

"Mmmhmm! All in my bag." They held up the brown messenger bag momentarily to show O'shay.

 **MetroCoast Rail**

 _Metro City Station_

The car pulled into the train station parking lot, everyone then unbuckled their seatbelt and got out.

"You have your card?" O'shay asked.

"Yes! It's uh… Way deep… In my pocket…" Astro reached deep into the pockets of their overalls to fish for their SIMPLE™ card, which allows them to get on train ride after train ride, so long as the card is filled and they remember to "tap" the SIMPLE™ card validator when they're ready to go. _((You can tell I've brushed up on my train knowledge, hehe ~Emily))_

"Well, so long as you know you have it– that's good enough."

"Wahhhhhh, I'm gonna miss you, sib!" Uran dramatically whined before pulling her sibling into a hug.

Astro couldn't help but give into soothing her worries by momentarily holding her tight as the last goodbye.

"I'll miss you too Uran, but only if you don't give the professor a hard time." They pulled away and looked at her sternly.

Uran blew a raspberry to shrug them off, "I do what I want! Now if you were willing to _pay_ me…"

Astro sighed, "I can't win with you, can I?"

"Not by a longshot!" Uran gave them a toothy grin.

They rolled their eyes before looking back at O'shay.

"I'll make it back in one piece!" They declared to him.

"Oh no worries, I don't have doubts," O'shay replied.

Astro nodded, and soon after, they could hear the sound of a train approaching.

"Look, it's here!" Uran exclaimed

Astro clutched onto their bag a tad harder as the train came closer, eventually coming to a stop.

They walked towards it before turning around for just a second to get a glimpse of O'shay and Uran.

"I'll see you!" They said.

Both O'shay and Uran were waving goodbye, with the doors to the train then opening, meaning Astro had to move quickly or else they would close and they'd miss their ride.

After "tapping in" and boarding, finding a seat was a task and a half, mainly since they wanted a window seat, but did they wanna sit in the front? The back? The middle?

The seats were slowly filling up, and if they really wanted a window seat, they'd have to act now, and fast!

They made their decision, and thus sat in the middle, though on their right side, so they were never able to get a final _final_ look at O'shay and Uran.

…

The ride from Metro City to where they were heading would only take them 16 minutes, but they knew that not all rides they were to go on would be that short.

In fact, finding out the ride would only be 16 minutes was quite the shocker, since they had the preconceived notion that it would take at least 20.

Nonetheless, it was surprisingly quiet, with the only sound being the train roaring against the tracks.

They decided, to spruce it up a little, to put on their earphones and listen to music for the time being, as well as pull out the paper they had kept in their back pocket.

O'shay had given them a paper with a list of contacts they could meet on their trip, and on the back, it had a vague map of the places they planned to go, the first of which was Gardenia.

It started a few weeks back when they were on the computer looking up nearby cities.

They've lived in Metro City their entire life, but there was always this wonder about what other places were nearby, it couldn't just be Metro City and Bella Note, right?

So they researched, and researched, and researched, and eventually, after compiling a list of places to see, they brought it up to O'shay over dinner one night and at first, he was confused, he thought Astro was considering running away!

Of course, then, Astro had to correct him and from then on he was open to the idea, since he always liked the idea of Astro taking on their own adventures and exploring places without having to drag him along.

Then after, it was the two of them putting all their efforts towards planning everything from how they'd get there, who they'd meet, ETC.

And today was proof it all paid off.

They looked out the window, and saw an abundance of bushes pass them by; they wondered if the entire city of Gardenia was nothing but grass and flowers. Or trees scattered around old wooden buildings and dirt just barely being exposed because of grass that wore out.

Or perhaps maybe it lived up to its name, and the city was entirely a garden, possibly with actual gardenias, which to them makes the city sound almost… ethereal in a way.

Nonetheless, no matter what they predicted, the train was getting closer to its stop and they'd soon find out the truth.

 _Goodbye, Metro City_

xx


	2. Gardenia

**Chapter 2: Gardenia**

 _Hello, Gardenia_

 **MetroCoast Rail**

 _City of Gardenia Station_

The train came to a full stop in a matter of minutes, and Astro instantly stood up, ready to leave.

After everyone unboarded, they looked around to get a scope of the train station.

It was obvious they were in a rural area, a strong contrast from the sci-fi urban glam Metro City had to offer.

In front, they could see the main building, possibly where people waited and/or bought tickets or SIMPLE cards, and to their right, they saw what might have been parking, indicated by the few cars scattered around, but it was too grassy to confirm.

They then kept walking, almost as if to leave, but stopped in their tracks when they heard someone call out their name.

"ASTRO!"

The voice sounded feminine, though it could have come from anyone, thus they turned around 360º to see who it was.

They spotted a middle-aged woman sitting on a nearby bench wave at them, and they walked over to her.

"Astro?" She asked.

"Yes…?" They seemed confused.

"Oh great, McKenzie." The woman exclaimed, holding her hand out for them to shake.

"Ohhh, McKenzie, Nice to meet you!" They gladly shook her hand with a smile once they recognized who she was.

McKenzie stood up, "When I got the call from Dr. O'shay that you were coming to visit, I got really excited, in fact…" she walked over to the bike rack, "I went out and bought us a bike!"

Astro looked shocked, riding a 2-person bike wasn't something they ever thought of doing when they woke up this morning.

"I already have my own one-person bike, but this baby will make it easier to get around, don'tcha' think?" She slammed her hand against one of the bike seats with enthusiasm.

"I don't see why not…"

"Great! Just gimme a sec… let me… unhook this thing…." She crouched down to get the bike off the rack.

"So…" Astro began, "The whole city is like this…?" They asked.

"Pardon?" McKenzie looked up at them for a moment.

"You know… with grass everywhere?"

"Oh yeah, lots of grass, we wouldn't call our city Gardenia if it didn't vaguely resemble a garden, now would we?"

Astro chuckled, McKenzie sure had a sense of humor.

She finally removed the bike from its rack, "Alright… the bike is out, ready for the ride?"

…

The more they road around the city, the more apparent it became that Gardenia was a bit like a village with nothing but old houses and dirt roads, oh and of course, grass… lots of grass.

"There doesn't seem to be much here, especially cars…" Astro commented.

"Yeah… we're just a humble city, nothing extravagant like _Metro City_ , and with everything close by, why would you need to drive?" McKenzie took her hat off, "hold my hat, sunshine, will ya? We're almost to my house."

Astro obliged and held onto her hat as she momentarily ran her fingers through her blonde hair, then putting her hands on the handlebars again.

"Nothing like the wind in your hair— I'll tell ya that!" McKenzie called to Astro.

"I wouldn't know— I don't have hair!" They called back.

"Whaaaatttt? That thing on your head isn't hair?!"

"No, I don't know what it is, but I know for a fact it's not hair."

…

 **Gardenia**

 _McKenzie's House_

"Okie dokie." McKenzie brought the bike to a stop, "made it to my place, and not a scratch on ya! Boy, when I was on the phone with Dr. O'shay and he was going on and on about safety— I thought it would never end! And now look— nothing to worry about…" she sighed as she got off the bike.

"Eeeeyeahh… he's always trying to keep me safe— but I mean who can blame him?" Astro got off as well and helped McKenzie bring the bike in.

"Oh, I know…" She rolled her eyes, "probably just means he really cares about you, you're one lucky kid— you know, not all parents love their children…"

They both walked inside the house, with Astro closing the door behind themselves.

"I never thought of it that way…" they followed her to the kitchen.

"Yeah… it's really sad the more I think about it, those kids must be heartbroken! Such a shame…"

"Ummm…" Astro tried to subtly click their heels together, "do you… have any kids?"

"Me?" McKenzie opened the fridge, "oh no no no, I live by myself."

"Not even a date mate?"

"Nope!" She happily pulled out a pitcher of lemonade, "lemonade?" She offered.

"Oh, I don't drink… or eat for that matter…" Astro waved their hand in disagreement.

"My goodness, you really can't do much, can you?" She teased.

"I can tell you what's 6382 plus 5794…"

"And that's…?"

"12,176."

"Oh well, I don't have a calculator, so I can't confirm nor deny."

"Guess you just have to take my word for it…" Astro chuckled.

"I guess so…" McKenzie chuckled back.

…

"So… this'll be your room— it's a tad small, but I don't think you need much room if you're just in here to sleep…"

"The beds got nice sheets." Astro looked up at McKenzie.

"Oh yes, it's made from organic linen.." she walked over to the bed and patted the sheets, "this wonderful woman down the street has a shop where she handmakes everything, and she gave me these sheets for my birthday _years_ ago, and they still hold up!"

Astro couldn't help but run up to the bed and jump on it.

McKenzie seemed startled but soon broke out into laughter.

"Don't… tell… my sister… I'm… doing this! I never… let… her jump… on the bed…" they couldn't help but laugh alongside her as they continued jumping.

"Well, so long as you don't break the bed, it's fine by me, sunshine." McKenzie headed for the door, "I'm gonna go make myself some lunch, I'll be back in a bit." She closed the door.

Astro jumped around some more before finally stopping and getting down from the bed.

"I don't think I've had that much fun in a _long_ time…" they sighed.

"No wonder she keeps doing it…"

They looked around the room momentarily, the ceiling was your typical popcorn ceiling, but the walls of the room were painted a champagne color, and the floors… hardwood.

Everything about the room was nice and airy, which helped liven the otherwise tiny and cramped area of the house.

The walls also had something they weren't expecting, framed paintings.

…

"My my, you have a good eye." McKenzie drank a bit of lemonade, "I think of painting as more of a hobby, my main passion is gardening." She looked out at her backyard and sighed.

"Something… wrong?" Astro looked concerned.

"I miss my garden…" she replied, "it used to be so lush and beautiful, _tons_ of people would come over to see it, and it had everything from fruits to flowers— I even had a little tree back there."

"And what happened…?"

McKenzie sighed again, "there was this… storm, a big one, came right through and destroyed everything," She almost choked on her words.

"Oh… I'm really sorry…"

"Oh no, it's fine," she wiped a tear from her eye with the knuckle of her index finger, "it's just… in a flash… they were done for… and I cared for them so much— put my heart and soul into it! And… it's ruined… for good…"

Astro looked out at the garden, and she was right, the entire backyard was covered in dirt, with plant remains scattered about.

It was sad to see, especially knowing how much McKenzie cared about her plants and how passionate of a gardener she was, until it dawned on them.

"Hey! I could help put your garden back together!" They exclaimed.

"Ohhhhh I don't know…. seems like a lot of work… and you're my guest! I couldn't possibly make you—"

"No no, it's totally fine! You seem pretty upset about it, so I want to make things right for you, starting with the garden."

McKenzie sighed, "I suppose…"

"Then it's a deal?" Astro reached out their hand.

McKenzie hesitated, but after thinking it through, she happily reached her hand out and shook his.

"It's a deal."

xx


	3. A Garden

**Chapter 3: A Garden**

It was the next day, and Astro laid all their clothes out on their bed to figure out what they were gonna wear

They could try the sundress, or maybe just shorts with the tye dye shirt they got at last year's county fair tucked in.

It was too hot for a sweater, and nothing they brought could possibly match a pair of capris, so what were they to wear…?

Well, they knew today they were going with McKenzie to pick up things for the garden, so perhaps something light would work.

…

Hopefully, they wouldn't get dirty, because today they wore all white with a sheer button-up tucked into a skater skirt.

They gleamed with confidence before walking out of their room to see McKenzie.

McKenzie was sitting at the table with a book and pencil in hand, looking like she was deep in thought about something.

"Hmm… three letters for 'set eyes on a target'..." she tapped her pencil against the book.

"Try 'aim'," Astro suggested as they walked over to her.

McKenzie almost instinctively looked up when she heard their voice, "Oh, well look at you, quite the fashionista, huh?" She jokingly commented.

"Eh, I just threw this together— it does look great though, I'll tell you that," they momentarily posed before laughing and sitting down at the table.

"I'm in the middle of a crossword puzzle… it's proving to be harder than I thought, but I'm still making my way through it."

"Need help?"

"Oh no… I'll finish it eventually…" she returned to working on her crossword.

…

Both McKenzie and Astro were back on the bike, this time heading for a nearby local shop which McKenzie knew was sure to have what they needed to fix up the garden.

They parked the bike outside and latched it onto a bike rack before walking inside.

"Good morning!" A voice from behind the counter greeted the two of them.

"Ah! Mei, I knew you'd be here…" McKenzie walked up to the counter.

"Eeeeyeah, Aileen is out today, so I'm in charge of running the shop, anything I can get you?" Mei replied.

Astro finally caught up to McKenzie, standing beside her momentarily.

"Oh, I see you brought a friend." Mei looked over at Astro with a smile.

"Oh yeah, this is Astro, they're from Metro City and they're stopping by for a visit." McKenzie gladly introduced them to her.

"Well hello there, I'm Mei— my wife and I run this shop, but she not here today, so it's just me running it, seems like McKenzie needs something?"

"Mmmhmm, I'm helping her redo her garden," Astro replied.

"Gardening?" Mei looked at McKenzie.

McKenzie rubbed her hand against the back of her neck in embarrassment, "You uh… know what happened…"

"Yeah, I almost forgot, but it's no problem; we got tons of gardening stuff here, come to see." Mei led the two of them to a different part of the store.

The store was fairly small but seemed to fit everything well enough. The walls were covered with things placed on shelves and racks and around the three of them were display case after display case with more items being showcased.

"Back here, we have gardening tools, and over there we have seeds, they're all at a decent price" Mei got closer to McKenzie and nudged her arm, "and since you're regular, I'll give you a discount– don't tell the wife," she whispered to her with a chuckle.

McKenzie chuckled back, walking up to some of the tools, "Hmmmmmm, I think I have some tools in the shed… but they've probably all rusted…" she examined some of the tools, picking them up from the rack and holding them out in front of her.

"Sunflowers?" Astro showed the packet of seeds to her.

"Ohh, sunflowers are my _favorite_. And they're easy to plant."

"So we'll get them?" They asked.

"Hmmm… I say we get a mix of seeds, so a bit of everything will do."

"Anyone into garden gnomes?" Mei held up a gnome to the both of them.

They both looked back and the three of them burst into laughter.

…

"You'll probably need to change if you plan on helping me outside, it's gonna be quite the dirty job." McKenzie opened the door to her house and let Astro inside first.

"Oh, um…" They turned around to face her, thinking to themselves about what to do.

"It's fine if you don't have anything, I think I might have something for you."

…

"It's a little on the bigger side, but it is women's so give it a try." McKenzie handed Astro folded clothes before leaving the room to give them privacy.

They tried it on and posed in front of the mirror to get a glimpse of what they looked like.

"I mean it's only just to garden…"

They tried reassuring themselves, but something about the outfit just… didn't feel… _right_.

It wasn't… _blatant_ dysphoria, but it did feel similar.

Perhaps even women's cut clothing just didn't flatter them like they had hoped.

Or… maybe just this piece. They have worn women's clothes in the past, in fact, they wore women's clothes all day so far.

Maybe they should just stick to their overalls.

…

They left the room not too long after, deciding the mild dysphoria was worth the time they'd be putting into helping redo McKenzie's garden.

"You ready?" McKenzie asked, sitting at the table and reading off a seed packet.

"Mmmhmm." Astro walked over to her.

"Well then let's go Sunshine!" McKenzie stood up from her chair and headed outside to her backyard.

Astro followed suit and the two of them stood side-by-side, getting a scope of the area.

"Well first, I think we're gonna need to sweep the patio…" McKenzie looked around for a broom.

"Ready to use your elbows?" She offered the broom to them.

Astro gladly obliged, and quickly they started on sweeping the patio floor while McKenzie brought the tools, dirt, seeds and, garden gnome outside.

"No no no." She walked over to them, "you gotta put your _all_ into it, you know, bend the knees and elbows, get really deep into it." She grabbed the broom and showed them.

"Ohhhh, I always thought it was more like a standing thing?"

"Oh no, if you did that you wouldn't be sweeping out, you'd just be sweeping in place." She handed the broom back to them.

Astro nodded and they got back to sweeping, this time with a much better posture.

…

The patio was swept and now McKenzie and Astro were getting rid of unwanted fauna, with Astro successfully pulling out weeds and McKenzie gathering them up to throw away.

They got rid of what they needed, and now it was just redoing the flower beds in preparation for the seeds.

"Usually, you would leave the soil in the flower pots for about 30-60 days to let it settle in the pot, but I say we put some seeds in just for fun, right?" McKenzie looked over at Astro.

"Ummm… I don't know, will anything bad happen?"

"Oh no, I'm sure it'll be fine, I just don't wanna leave you hanging since I know you aren't gonna be here for a whole month…"

"Well if you say so, I'll take your word for it." Astro chuckled.

McKenzie reached into the pocket of her pants and pulled out what looked like a tin can of sorts.

"Gardening really dries out my hands, so I always have hand salve around."

"And it works?"

"Of course! Trust me, this stuffs too expensive to buy if it didn't do what it says it'll do, I'll tell ya that."

…

"And we kinda gotta run that along the soil, almost like we're 'scoring' it– but not quite."

"Like this?"

"Yup, just like that, and I can… go grab my watering can…"

Even though Astro couldn't sweat, they could still feel the sun beat down on them from the heat, and suddenly they really wanted to take a bath.

McKenzie returned not too long after with her watering can and, after Astro was done, she sprinkled some water on the soil.

"That should be good; I think I'll have lunch and then we can get started with planting." She wiped sweat from her forehead before setting to can down and motioning to Astro to come inside.

Astro obviously obliged since they knew indoors there was a/c.

…

The two were sitting at the table, with McKenzie working her way through a club sandwich and Astro listening to music to pass the time.

"So uh… whatcha' listening to, sunshine?" She glanced over at them.

"Uhhh…" Astro froze, "N-nothing…" They stuttered.

"Hmmm, I don't think I believe that, but whatever you say," she took another bite of her sandwich.

They almost sunk into their seat, but they didn't wanna make the fact that they lied even more obviously, especially if she was already suspicious.

Music taste, to Astro, was a thing they kept to themselves.

Always, it was an ordeal with the fact that they pretty much were an open book.

But of course, in some cases, it's quite necessary; like when they came out as bisexual and then less than a year later, agender.

But sometimes, they just wanted solitude, or perhaps just a chance to not have to spell everything out when asked.

And that's where music came in.

Thus, for now, the answer was always "nothing" and the experience was still, something they only shared with themselves.

xx


	4. Hi, My Names Astro

**Chapter 4: Hi, my names Astro**

To catch everyone up to speed, Astro and McKenzie after having lunch together, went back outside to finish working on the flower beds.

It was a long day, and by 4 pm, they were both quite tired, indicating it was probably time to call it quits for the day and come back to work on it tomorrow.

They ended the night with a casual card game and went to bed at a fairly decent time.

The next day, even though Astro was eager to work on the garden, McKenzie seemed more laid back as they saw her slouch on the couch watching _Wherewith it is Created_.

They wanted to ask, but instead decided to join her, and it was a lax day, to say the least.

The day after that, McKenzie suggested that Astro get out of the house and do some exploring of the city alone.

Astro offered for her to come, but ultimately, she argued that having her breathing down their neck would ruin the experience, and they agreed.

So they headed out, messenger bag hanging from their shoulder, and finally, they got to wear their tie-dye shirt tucked into shorts; which to them was both comfy, and stylish.

Outside McKenzie's house, the rural aspect of the city was quite obvious, it was almost like the neighborhood was once a suburban community, but was never kept up and thus sidewalks and roads blended in with the ground from under, and dirt all around.

But no one in the city seemed to mind.

The real question for Astro now though, was where to go?

Heading left would be heading back to the shop McKenzie and them were just at a few days ago; and while it was nice to visit, they weren't entirely sure it was something they'd wanna go back and revisit, especially if the goal is to explore the unknown.

They weren't sure where heading right would lead to, so they decided to go right.

They passed by more houses, each while obviously meant to be similar, seemed to have its own story with the decorations and pavements outside of everyone.

At the crossroad, they could see from the other side that someone was on a bike; to where they were heading was unknown— but it tickled Astro's curiosity just enough to maybe figure it out.

They crossed the street and followed the bike rider from afar, and after a while, they ended up at what seemed to be a park.

The bike rider got off and continued their trek on foot, Astro decided to just check the area out instead of continuing to follow them.

They saw the park was far more dead than they assumed, at least when compared to the quite noisy and havoc ridden park at Metro City.

"Alright, you ready? One… two… three!"

A father and infant daughter were sliding down the side with, who they assumed to be the mother, holding her phone out to take a picture.

The mom put her phone down and clapped her hands in excitement as her daughter tried walking over to her.

It was interesting to them how simple Gardenia was.

Never would they have ever thought there'd be a city that wasn't so fast-paced and busy like Metro City.

Everything from the looks down to the people gave off the same humble vibes they recollected McKenzie telling them on their first bike ride to her place just days ago.

With awe, they carried on their way past the park and, onto exploring more parts of the city.

…

The sidewalks were starting to get harder to walk, with their feet dragging against the ground in tiredness.

They saw another neighborhood of houses when they reached yet another 4-way stop, though, to their left, they saw what might have been shops.

The shops seemed to be one after the other all along a strip, with the other side of the road being a gas station and restaurant.

The stores ranged from thrifted clothes to vintage furniture, and the odd gelato shop in between.

It was tempting to walk in, but with no money on hand, would it be rude to go in and walk out empty handed?

 **Gardenia**

 _ShopThrift_

"Need any help?" A feminine voice asked them.

Astro had decided to bite the bullet and go into one of the stores just to see what they have.

"Uhhh no, just looking," they replied.

"Ah well, if you need anything… let me know."

The store was quite crowded with racks and racks of clothes all together with the walls decorated with worn out items purely for aesthetic.

It wasn't like they had a reason to buy more clothes, especially since those were what took up the most room in their bag, but they couldn't help but look at what was available just for the sake of it.

They lowered their voice to a mutter, "I could wear this… and then some jeans… and maybe…. This hat."

"Hey uh…" The feminine voice from before perked up from behind the counter.

"Hmm?" Astro turned to him.

"You know… you look a lot like an Astro… but that's obviously a longshot– they're from Metro City, right?"

"Uhhhh yeah, but umm… They're actually visiting right now." They walked over to him and chuckled.

"Oh really? I wonder– wait. Get out. No. Ahhh!" He looked shocked for a moment, but managed to compose himself, still keeping the huge smile, though.

"So you're just stopping by or…?"

"Oh! Ummm, I'm just visiting the city– in fact, I'm visiting a whole bunch of cities for like the next month and a half." Astro replied.

"That's awesome, It's just you?"

"No no– I'm staying with someone, I don't know if you know her uh, her name's McKenzie?"

"McKenzie… Ah… I think I might– does she always wear like a straw hat of some kind?"

"Yeah!" Astro nodded.

"Oh yeah! She's such a sweet woman; I think she came by a week or two ago if I'm not mistaken."

"Oh really? Wonder what for…"

"The hell if I know, what I do know though is that the city is everything I could ever want in a city; peace and quiet with the most accepting people ever– what more could I ask for?!"

"I'm not sure, it's been really nice exploring the area though, I'll say that."

"Well, that's nice, anything you plan on getting before you head out or…?"

"No no– I didn't bring any money, plus I can barely fit the clothes I brought with me already– It'd just be overkill."

"Aw, well, if you ever change your mind we're open every day from 8-7, 9-6 on weekends." From behind the counter, he smiled at Astro before they said their goodbyes and headed off.

The rest of the exploration was a bit of the same, and they after the long walk returned home to McKenzie in the kitchen cooking what they assumed was lunch, but could've also doubled as dinner for later.

…

 **Gardenia**

 _City Hall_

The day after that, McKenzie and Astro were back on bike, this time heading for City Hall.

"Wow, you work here?" Astro sounded astonished.

"Heard me right, Sunshine. You know as much as I love to garden– I need an actual job to pay the bills," She looked over at him and chuckled.

They both walked up the steps and into City Hall, where McKenzie instructed Astro to just sit and wait for her while she headed down to the Mayor's office.

"McKenzie! How nice it is to see you!" The Mayor greeted.

"It's nice to see you too, how's the wife and kids?"

"Oh, they're great. My oldest just got first place at her track meet last weekend," He pushed his coffee mug aside.

"Ah congrats, she must be really proud." McKenzie sat down in the seat in front of the desk.

"Proud she is– but um, you come here for…?"

"Well… um… as you know– we were expecting a visitor to stop by for about a week or two?"

"Oh yes, they're name was ummm… Astro, am I right?"

"Mmmmhmmm, well I was thinking– we could maybe put something together as sort of a thank you celebration for them, you know It's not every day you get someone from Metro City coming by to visit, especially them."

"Hmmm… you know, that sounds like a _wonderful_ idea– I think I'll discuss it with my assistant, in fact– MARK! COULD YOU COME OVER FOR JUST A SEC?"

The mayor's assistant walked into the office, "Yes, Mr. Mayor?"

"McKenzie has this great idea about a celebration for our visitor… Astro, correct?" He looked back at McKenzie.

She nodded.

"See if we can arrange for it to happen say… about a week from now, that sounds reasonable, don't you think?"

"Of course, I'm down for any time, no worries," McKenzie replied.

"So sometime next week, Mr. Mayor?" Mark asked.

"Yes yes, and have Gina put it in my calendar."

"Can do, Mr. Mayor," he walked out of the room.

"So everything's been smooth sailing?" The Mayor asked.

" _Better_ than smooth, they've been such a sweet kid, and they're even helping me redo my garden!"

"Oh, is that so? I know it was quite the emotional toll when that storm rolled in and destroyed it."

"It was… but they really wanna make it up to me by redoing it."

"Well, I see no problem with that as long as the two of you, you know… have fun…"

McKenzie almost wanted to laugh, but covered her mouth and shuddered to stop herself.

"Well, I better get going– don't want to keep them waiting in the lobby for too long." She stood up and prepared to leave.

"You'll be back on the 25th, correct?"

"Mmmhmm, I'll see you at the celebration." McKenzie waved goodbye.

"Ready to head out?" She asked Astro.

"Yup!" Astro sat up and followed her out of City Hall.

"So… you went there for…?"

"Oh! Ummm… just to uh… talk about when I'm coming back! I took 2 whole weeks off since I knew you were coming."

…

A weekend went by, and the city (in secret) was busy planning Astro's celebration, with McKenzie heading the project and almost all civilians coming to put it all together.

Astro was at home still working on the garden by themselves while McKenzie was gone.

They could hear the sound of a door opening, and they quickly turned around, only to find it was McKenzie returning home.

"See you've made progress?" She walked towards the backyard and rested her head against the sliding glass door.

"Not much, but I'm getting there…"

"Well um.. How about you come inside for a break?"

"Oh no– it's fine, I got this!"

"I'm sure you do, but I think you might be wearing yourself out, Sunshine. Can't be sunny if you're letting the clouds roll through, am I right?"

Astro sighed, putting down the tools they were using, they dusted themselves off and went inside to sit on the couch with McKenzie.

"You know… it's been really nice having you over, wouldn't you agree?" She looked over at them with a smile.

"Yeah! I've had a great time so far, especially with fixing your garden…" they replied.

"Oh, you and the garden… seems like you care about it more than I ever would…"

"Well it means a lot to you— I think it's only fair I do my part."

McKenzie sighed, "I think you have it all backward…"

Astro looked confused.

She leaned back a bit, "Tell me, how's it like in Metro City?"

"Oh, umm… definitely not like this…"

"And how so?"

"Well… it's a lot busier, and louder…. has a lot more people too— and robots! Lots of robots!"

McKenzie chuckled, "you know… Metro City reminds me a lot of the city I grew up in."

"Which was?"

"Ritz Machina."

"Really?! I'm going there!"

"Oh, well, in that case, I'm sure you'll find it practically like Metro City just— maybe not as futuristic."

"Well, I can't wait then!"

McKenzie chuckled.

"The point I was trying to make, Sunshine, is you haven't seemed to grasp how it is over here— we're a very relaxed society, nothing's now now-now like it is where you're from. And seeing that all you want to do is work and no play is really damaging to your mental health, and I speak from experience."

"How so?"

"Well, when I was younger, my parents were all work and no play. Though they were more focused on money. Always trying to make more money any way they could— even though they had all the money they could ever want!"

"They really wanted me to follow suit, but I told them I wasn't gonna do it, and sure they were upset, but at that point, I had already graduated and what not, so in theory, I could do what I want, even if it upsets them."

"Wow, that must've been something…"

"I suppose… but the main point is that I didn't allow myself to burn out, I really think you should follow suit, even just for a day."

Astro sighed. Not once did they consider that maybe after all this time, they were overexerting themselves far more than they could handle.

"I mean… it's not like I'm not used to it— I work all the time."

"Well, I'm not here to change your mind— I just wanted to leave you with some advice to take with you when you go."

"You do seem like the advice-giving type, I'll tell you that."

The two of them chuckled.

"But what I really wanted to get into, if you're okay with it– from queer person to queer… robot? I wanna know… how'd you know you were bisexual?"

Astro almost leaned forward to laugh.

"Well… it started when I watched _Yard Addict_ and Mary Smith walked in and I got excited, but then Stan Davis walked in and I got _even_ more excited," they nudged her arm sarcastically. ((None of what I mentioned is actually real, just FYI ~Emily))

"Actually, that's a joke. I think it just boils down to me not having a preference, but having a preference, if that makes sense? 'Cause like– pansexuality is having _no_ preference– but I do have a preference of some kind but like… I don't keep my options limited to just like… _one_ gender, you know?"

"Yeah, it's quite different from me, I'll tell you that," McKenzie replied.

"Oh really? You wanna… elaborate on that?"

"Sure! Well…'personally' I'd say I'm asexual, but also… aromantic…"

"Oh, so _that's_ why you don't have kids!"

"Hmm… _well_ …. You're not wrong." She chuckled.

"It took me quite a while to accept such a label, in fact– I don't think I accepted it at all until I moved here. Like back in high school, I was always under this pretense that something must've been wrong– I mean I look at all my friends at the time and they're off going on dates and fawning over football players– even my lesbian friends had girls they were interested in, but I never cared…"

"So did you like… do anything about it? Like maybe look into why?"

McKenzie sighed, trying to recollect past events, "Well… not that I know of– I definitely made quite a reputation for myself because I would try to date, hoping maybe this time It'll be right, but it felt so bad– I just had to break it up! And it was rinse repeat my entire junior and senior year."

Astro looked over at her with worry, "that must've really damaged you, no?"

"Oh definitely, but now I'm just 'doing me' as they say." She couldn't help but snicker.

"I… don't think they say that… anymore…"

McKenzie momentarily looked away in embarrassment. "Well, umm… that's… cool…" ((it was at that moment that McKenzie realized… she was not hip with the youth ~Emily))

…

Tuesday night, Astro was cooped up in their room with music quietly going on.

They were sprawled out on the bed, their sketchbook lying flat with a few pencils scattered about; at the moment, they were looking up at the ceiling in hopes of finding some form of inspiration, but ultimately, they found none.

With a sigh, they decided to just flip through old pages and see what they could find.

Most of it was portraits of friends and family, but others had rough sketches of flowers, and that one time after a party they saw the Metro SkyRail pass by at just the right moment.

Two pages they loved the most was Uran's drawing; the one where she stuck her tongue out with a silly and toothy grin.

The other being Reno taking a bite out of a loaf of Cuban bread; it gave just the right amount of "stock photo-ness" that they remember so vividly they couldn't keep their composure as they drew, stopping every so often to burst into another laughing fit.

Another page had both Ken and Alejo holding hands, but you couldn't tell since the drawing was just a close up of the hands being held.

They meant to add more things like flowers and perhaps a background, but it looked like they didn't even finish shading the art, they wondered why.

A few more pages were flipped until it dawned on them.

 _They knew what to draw_.

xx


	5. It's They-Them

**Chapter 5: It's they/them**

"You want to draw me?" McKenzie looked at Astro in confusion.

"Yes! You'd be the perfect subject for my next piece! And it could be something to commemorate the fact that I visited." They pulled a few pencils out from their bag.

"Well, go right ahead, Sunshine– I have all the time in the world." McKenzie sat down in a chair and adjusted her posture to be what she thought might be good enough for Astro to draw.

Astro chuckled, "So professional…" They reached over for their sketchbook.

"Oh, do you want something say…" She made a goofy face, "silly!"

"Hmm…" It seemed like Astro wasn't pleased just yet, setting everything in their hands down on the table and walking out to the backyard.

McKenzie turned around in confusion, not sure why they left so abruptly.

They came back not too long after with a watering can in hand.

"Why don't we try a prop?" They offered.

"Sure! How do you want–"

"Maybe…" Astro sat down, "Have it like….hmmm… maybe– hold it. But it have it like– over your heard, and tilted."

"Like… this?"

"Yes! And maybe the silly face too?"

The two sat for a little over an hour as Astro was sketching out the drawing.

"I'm actually pretty fast compared to some people; like I could probably finish this in like a good 10 minutes…"

"Well, there's no rush," McKenzie replied.

"Of course not, otherwise I would've been done by now." Astro looked up at her.

They both broke out into a laugh.

…

The day had ended with Astro finishing the drawing and offering it to McKenzie, who insisted they keep it, so they compromised by having McKenzie take a picture, leaving Astro with the original.

Thursday, McKenzie and Astro spent the entire morning working on the garden.

"You can put that over there," McKenzie pointed to a different section of the flower bed.

Astro walked over and carefully placed the pot down in the dirt.

They could hear McKenzie hum a tune as she diligently worked, they thought maybe it was some up and coming hit, but it could've very well just been _Billy Joel_.

"You uh... really like music, huh?" they asked.

"Ah, I suppose…" McKenzie reached for her shovel, "Music to me is just background noise to keep me productive– I really have no preference."

"Oh, that's cool! To me… music is like… the one thing I get to enjoy by myself– I'm such an open book, that It's hard for me to claim ownership over anything, but music… music I can keep."

"Hmmm, I see. Well, it's how you chose to live, Sunshine– don't let anyone else tell you otherwise," She looked over at them with a smile.

Astro stood up and walked over to her.

"I think I've planted all I can for now," they said.

"Oh! Well, Maybe we should call it quits for now, hmm?" She glanced at them.

"It's your call," they shrugged.

At lunchtime, McKenzie had stepped out to check up on the progress of the celebration set to happen before Astro left.

She had made it on bike to the local pavilion where she was greeted by a few residents who were putting together a few decorations.

 **Gardenia**

 _Tangerine Pavilion_

"How's it going, any new progress?" She asked.

"We're almost done with the banner, and I think Mei is helping make some balloons."

"Ah, I should go talk to her– thanks!" McKenzie waved goodbye as she walked away.

"Mei!" She called.

"Ah, McKenzie, just in time!" Mei waved.

"Putting together balloons?"

"Yep! I was actually wondering if you could tie ribbons onto them, and then I can tie them to the pillars.

"Sure can do!" McKenzie grabbed a spool of ribbon and went off to tie up balloons.

Everything was slowly coming together and by the end of the day, almost all was completed.

Having said that, most of the people hanging around decided on calling it a night and heading out somewhere for dinner.

McKenzie, though, declined, remembering Astro was alone at her place.

She felt bad having left them behind, so she made it point to head quickly home to check up on them.

 **Gardenia**

 _McKenzie's House_

When she got home, she saw Astro on the couch casually watching TV whilst scrolling through their phone.

They looked up as soon as the door opened and they saw her walk in.

"That took a while, huh?" They chuckled.

"I guess so. Lots and lots of delays lemme tell you. I think I'm due for a nap."

"Oh, well it is getting pretty late, maybe we should head to bed?"

"Hmmm, I suppose…"

Astro turned off the TV, then got up from the couch, "I'll see you late then?"

McKenzie nodded, and they were off to their room, getting ready for bed.

As soon as she saw them close the door, she walked over to the sliding glass door to get a look at the backyard.

She swore– if it wasn't for Astro's resilience and need to help, she would have never made the time or found the energy to redo her garden.

The garden now was starting to look a bit like a rainbow, with grown plants of different colors scattered about, and of course, some areas had seeds for plants that would soon grow into beautiful flowers.

She could have people over once again, all of which would typically go outside to see all the flowers and compliment her on how pretty they looked.

God, did she miss hosting gatherings at her place.

But now, she was thrilled to admit she could finally host another one.

…

Friday, it was the last hurrah before Astro had to leave.

Their train ride was set up to be late Saturday, hence why the celebration was booked for the morning. But today, McKenzie thought it would be great to take them to one last place as a bit of a close to everything they've seen.

 **Gardenia**

 _Bumbleberry Diner_

"I know you don't eat," McKenzie locked the bike onto the rack, "but I thought you might be interested in seeing this diner– It's _gorgeous_ on the inside. It might also give you inspiration for your next art piece, I don't know." She held the door open so Astro could walk inside.

The two of them heard a gasp as they saw a woman eagerly stand at the podium.

"McKenzie! So great to see you again!" She greeted.

"Oh hey, table for two?"

"Mmmhmm, can do! Riiiiiiight this way please."

The two sat down at a booth and were instantly handed menus, the woman then walked away.

"Oh, you're right. This place looks amazing!" Astro looked around the diner.

"I thought you might've said that– this place is actually the oldest building in Gardenia!" McKenzie replied.

"Oh really? That's so cool."

"Sure is, and they really go all out with the aesthetic, lemme tell you. Plus, I know a few people that work here."

"You seem to know everyone, huh?" Astro chuckled.

" _Well_ , when you're a socialite like me– it comes with the perks."

…

"And you want the chicken with it, or on the side?"

"Uhhhh, with it is fine."

"And you, sir?"

"Oh! Uhhhh…."

A waitress had come by not too long ago to take their orders with McKenzie ordering a chicken salad, and Astro….

They looked over at her with worry.

"They um… aren't going to have anything," she piped up.

"Oh no problem, I'll just take your menus then."

Astro stared at the table for a bit as the waitress walked away.

"You okay there, Sunshine?"

"Yeah. I'm just a little down– I think they really anticipated I was gonna order something…"

"Oh well, not everyone knows your situation…"

"I know, I just hope they don't think I was being rude."

"Of course not, especially if it's because of something you have no control over."

Not too long after, McKenzie got her food, and the two of them went back to conversing as she made her way through her meal.

"I'm surprised this place isn't that packed, didn't you say this place was historic?" Astro asked.

"Why yes I did, but right now is a bit of a 'down time' if you will– it's not that busy."

"Ah, I see– is the food any good?"

McKenzie nodded after having shoved a bit in her mouth.

"I think maybe after this, we should take a trip to the park!"

…

With all that said, we arrive at Saturday, where early on, Astro was busy gathering all their items and shoving them into their messenger bag.

McKenzie stayed in the kitchen, where she munched on some breakfast, hoping she'd get a call that everything was ready to go.

Astro came out to the living room area and sat down on the couch, with McKenzie's phone going off not too long after.

"Oh, um– I'm gonna go answer this outside," she grabbed her phone and walked out to the backyard.

Astro seemed confused, but shrugged it off, returning their attention to the TV.

"Are we ready? Mmmhmmm, yeah… Oh no no, it's fine. Okay, I'll let them know. See you there!"

She walked back inside with a smile on her face as she closed the sliding glass door.

"Say, uh… Sunshine– wanna head out somewhere?"

…

 **Gardenia**

 _Tangerine Pavilion_

On bike, both McKenzie and Astro had stop a bit far from the pavilion, mostly so as to not ruin the surprise.

Astro was confused as to where McKenzie was taking them, but they knew she had their interest in mind, so whatever it was– it was bound to be good.

They both got off, but this time, they didn't put the bike on a rike, which caused even more confusion on Astro's end.

"Do you know… where we're going?" They asked.

"Nope," McKenzie looked at them with a smirk.

They made it close to the pavilion when suddenly–

"SURPRISE!"

Astro was taken aback, it seemed like almost everyone they had met so far in town had shown up to this surprise celebration.

But for who?

Themselves?

"It's been such a pleasure to have you visit," McKenzie began, "It seemed only fair to throw you a little celebration before you go, eh?"

So _this_ is what was taking up her time.

"Oh my gosh! You put all of this together… for me?" Astro replied.

"It's all for you, Sunshine."

They couldn't help but smile, walking over to give McKenzie a hug, then looking over to see the scope of the pavilion and all of its decorations.

"I… I don't know what to say… thank you?"

"Oh, it's alright– I think it's best you just enjoy yourself, we get it," She smiled.

…

The celebration was in full swing with everyone busy having a good time, and Astro finally getting around to taking the pictures they promised Uran.

"Having a good time, Sunshine?" McKenzie asked.

"Yeah! I'm just sending some pictures to my sister!"

"Aw, how sweet– well, I'll be at the snack bar if you need me." She walked away.

Astro smiled as they watched her walk away, then returned to taking pictures.

They saw in the distance, what looked like a bird that had flown by and perched itself on a nearby tree.

They tried getting closer to take a un-blurry photo, but the bird had seen them and flew off, to their disappointment, of course.

What else could they photograph?

Everything around them was alive and well, possibly the most alive they've seen residents be at all.

"Hey!"

It felt like someone had grabbed them by the wrist all the sudden, which immediately freaked them out, gasping and turning around.

"Oh… um… I was uh— wondering if you wanted to come dance with us…" the person replied.

"Oh… I dunno— sounds embarrassing…" Astro replied.

"Well…. if–if you ch—change your mind, let me know…"

They looked incredibly confused, but decided to shrug it off in an attempt to finish what they needed— the pictures.

At the end of the pavilion, there was a DJ playing music, with people gathered around and dancing together.

Instead of participating, they decided to get just close enough to photograph the crowd before heading off to find McKenzie.

"McKenzie!" They called.

"Astro? Something wrong?" McKenzie looked around.

"No no," they walked over to her, "I wanted to show you my photos."

"Oh, sure thing, Sunshine, lemme see."

Astro handed her their phone and she scrolled through all the pictures while munching on tortilla chips.

"Ooo, I like this one with the flowers," she showed the photo to Astro.

"I like that one too, it has a lot of color contrast."

"And this one with the dancers— it's a little blurry, but it creates a better sense of action."

"You think my sister will like these?"

"Oh, I'm sure she'll _love_ them!" She handed Astro their phone.

"I hope so, I put in quite an amount of time to take them— plus _she_ wanted them so bad, so…"

McKenzie turned around and saw the crowd hitting the dance floor and jamming out.

"Say, how about we go dance?"

"Oh… I dunno… it's kind of embarrassing…"

"Hmmm, well– I'll be over there if you need me then."

Astro saw McKenzie leave and for the time being, they were alone.

…

"We're gonna cut a cake!"

Everyone stood around a table, waiting for Astro to come by.

"Where'd they go?" Someone asked.

"Bathroom?"

"I'll go see…"

McKenzie walked away from the table, "Sunshine?" She called out.

"Astro?"

"McKenzie?" A voice had called from behind bushes.

She walked up to it, "Astro? What are you doing by the bushes?"

"Uhhhh, just admiring the sky."

"Oh really?"

"Yeah, why— is something wrong?"

"Well, we're about to cut the cake."

"Oh. Um. Okay!" Astro slowly got up from the ground.

"You won't cut me a slice, right?" They whispered to her.

"No, of course not, I'll just have two for myself." She whispered back before the two broke out into a quiet chuckle.

The two of them got to the table.

"Aye, they're here!"

"Sorry, I just really wanted to keep up my mindfulness— I didn't know we were having cake," Astro replied with a nervous chuckle.

"Oh, it's alright, anyone have a knife?"

…

 **MetroCoast Rail**

 _City of Gardenia Station_

The celebration was over, after everyone had their cake, McKenzie and Astro headed back home to get Astro's bag, then took off to the train station, where surprisingly, there were quite an amount of people, none of which actually planned to leave— but instead were there to wish Astro goodbye.

They couldn't believe how fast two weeks had gone by, and they would already be heading to their next location.

"So, where ya heading off to next, Sunshine?" McKenzie asked, putting the bike on the bike rack.

"Oh, uh— Westbrooke!"

"Oh, you're gonna _love_ it! I went there last year for vacation— best southern and homegrown cooking, let me tell you."

Astro was ecstatic to hear that, knowing that their next location would be just as great soothed any eminent worries they could possibly have.

They then decided to look about for one last panorama of the area they'd soon be leaving in a matter of time.

"You have everything?" McKenzie asked.

Astro turned around and faced her, "Yup!"

It wasn't long before the sound of the train came roaring by, indicating it was time for Astro to go.

"I'll miss you!" Astro gave McKenzie a hug.

"I'll miss you too, Sunshine— you were a lovely guest, and I think everyone else can agree," she pointed to other residents that were waving them goodbye.

"THANKS SO MUCH! IT WAS NICE TO VISIT!" They called out to them with a smile.

"I think the doors are opening, you should get going."

Astro nodded, and with their SIMPLE card in hand, they walked off to "tap on" and got onto the train.

This time around, it was easy to make up their mind— choosing another window seat, this time on the side where they could see everyone and wave goodbye to them just one last time before the doors closed, and the train took off.

 _Goodbye, Gardenia_

xx


	6. Westbrooke

**Chapter 6: WestBrooke**

 _Hello, WestBrooke_

As Astro looked out the train window, they saw rural landscapes become more populated with roads and buildings.

Even at one point, they spotted cars stopping in front of railroad tracks, waiting for the train to pass so they could drive over the tracks, continuing whatever journey it was that they were taking.

 **MetroCoast Rail**

 _Westbrooke MetroCoast Rail Station_

The train stopped in a building that weirdly enough, looked almost the same as the station in Metro City, color scheme and all.

They got off the train and stepped onto a platform before finding a nearby bench to sit down and collect themselves.

"The paper!" They mumbled, fishing around their pockets. They eventually found it stowed away crumbled in their back-pocket and, they frantically pulled it out

"So… we saw McKenzie in Gardenia…" Astro gave the paper a quick scan before looking up to see if anyone around was trying to find them.

"... I don't think anyone I'm looking for is here… is this even Westbrooke?"

They got up and lugged their bag around, though it was starting to become a bit of a nuisance from holding it all the time.

Sure enough, when they walked to the front of the main building, they could see the words "WESTBROOKE STATION" printed in bold, capital letters on a sign that hung from above the entry door.

"And no one's here… okay…"

Astro turned back around and reconsulted their paper. Under "Mckenzie" there was the name of the city (Gardenia), written alongside what they now realized, was her house address.

Okay, that's a start, then what's next?

Looking further down, they saw a name that looked like "Pichard", but that didn't make any sense. Regardless, it did, in fact, have "Westbrooke" and the address written underneath the name, so they supposed the only solution would be to walk there themselves.

…

"So I've gotta look for…. 101 E Atlantic RD, Westbrooke… Seems easy…"

They had only made it out of the train station, but determination within themselves was not gonna give up any time soon, or so they thought.

A quick GooseGoseGo search revealed that walking all the way to where they needed to go, would take about… an hour and twenty-two minutes…

But were they willing to walk for that long?

Well, when they looked and saw that not only would going by bus only take 36 minutes but that also a bus was approaching, it was apparent that no, they were not.

They sat in the back, just to make things easier for everyone, clinging onto the crumbled paper.

"It's not…. 'Pichard' that makes no sense…" They kept reading it over because something didn't seem right.

"Oh Professor, you have _terrible_ handwriting…"

 **Westbrooke**

 _City Hall_

Two bus rides with walking sprinkled in-between later and, Astro was left confused.

Had GooseGoseGo failed them? Because this didn't look right…

"City Hall? Gosh…"

But maybe this was all pure luck! If there's anyone who'd know their way around Westbrooke, It'd be anybody who works in that building.

And so they trekked along, trying to keep their hopes high that maybe someone could help them sort out this mess.

Inside, the building was actually quite roomy, but it by no means was empty, and in fact, it was quite crowded with all kinds of typical things found in your average City Hall that of course, _everyone_ knows about.

They decided the best option would be to just walk up to the nearest front desk to ask questions.

A woman who was busy typing on her computer glanced over and saw Astro walking towards her, so she stopped in her tracks and looked at them.

"Ummm… I'm looking for someone named… uh… 'Richard'?"

 _Nailed it!_

"Oh! You're looking for Mr. Vasquez?" The woman replied.

"Ahh… yes…?"

"Well alright then, let's see if you have an appointment, your name?"

"Astro?"

"Astro…. Astro… okay…. Ast…" her words trailed off to just mumbles as she clicked with her mouse and typed with her keyboard.

"Oh! You're here from Metro City, correct?"

"Mmmhmm!" They nodded.

The woman clicked for her last time as a label spit out of a printer.

"Just take this with you and you'll be fine, he should be in his office, but if not, you can just wait outside. It's to your left."

With satisfaction, they grabbed the label from her hand and walked away to 'Mr. Vasquez' or whoever they were.

They made it to the front door, hands about to reach over and knock on the door, but something didn't seem right.

Uptop the door, there was a nameplate which strangely read "MR. RICHARD VASQUEZ - CITY MAYOR"

Despite their confusions, the effort they had already put in for the time that they had, made knocking on this door seem like just another step in the already long and daunting process.

It really put things into perspective when for a moment, they compared this experience, to their experience in Gardenia.

"COME IN!" They heard a masculine voice yell from inside the room.

Astro slowly crept in, clutching onto all of their belongings, before closing the door behind themselves.

"Oh. I uh– do you… have a… appointment?"

"I… guess… Astro?" They replied.

"Ah! Yes of course! You are the kid from Metro City, correct?!"

"Yes! I uh– just got here from Gardenia…"

"Oh, my deepest apologies– I should have sent someone to get you…"

"So… I'm staying with you…?"

"Yes yes, of course!"

Astro gave the man a good glance. They saw he didn't exactly "dress" like the stereotypical "mayor" type, but in a weird way, he still looked professional. He not only had glasses but also a trimmed beard with brownish-tan skin, though with warm tones underneath. His hair was up in a man-bun and it was at this point they realized they were staring for too long and should probably not come off as a creep.

"So umm… you're the mayor here?"

"For the past two years, yes."

"Well, that's cool! You like your job?"

"Of course! Taking care of this city is no game, but it is a duty I am willing to uphold."

"And how's everyone else here– this place looks a bit different from Gardenia…"

"Gardenia? I thought you were from Metro City?"

"I–I am! I just uhhh… I'm doing this thing you know? Where I like… _travel_ to all these different cities– kinda like a long vacation of sorts."

"Oh, I see… Well– I have not been to Gardenia in _ages–_ But I have heard some of the residents like to go there for weekend getaways, they take the train because it is the easiest to get there."

Astro gasped, "Just like me!"

Richard laughed, "You know, kid, you have a lot of charisma– I think you are gonna like what we have planned this weekend."

…

"So… how about we get to know each other, where are you from?" Astro began.

"Oh, well… my parents are both hispanic– if you could not tell," Richard moved his hand around his face. "But I was actually born here, though I do _sometimes_ visit my 'home country' as they say– mostly just to visit family that is not over here."

"Wow, really? Is that really far or…?"

"Hmmm… well… it takes a bit, but what plane ride is not long, am I right?"

The two of them laughed.

"And so now you're mayor, talk about major come up!"

Richard almost laughed, but instead, reached over for his nearby coffee mug and took a sip.

"You really are something… bringing in some well-deserved sunshine to an otherwise mundane day– and that takes skill, but I think you got it…"

"And you don't seem to wear a lot of typical 'mayor' clothes, huh?" Astro commented.

"Ah, well you see, I like to keep things more… _personal_ — the last mayor that was here— was not that great— in fact, he was forced to resign because he was caught in a bribery scandal, pretty bad stuff."

"And… I think the residents really wanted someone who was more… open, honest, and…" Richard pulled on his turtleneck, "casual."

"But we gotta keep it professional, do not want to be looking like we are about to lounge around on the couch, that would be silly, no?"

Now at this point, Astro was getting the impression that Metro City was more of an "odd one out" when compared to both Gardenia and Westbrooke.

"Oh no, that _would_ be silly…" They nodded. "So you're not doing anything?"

" _Well_ , when I got the call from Dr. O'shay about you— I guess I misunderstood what he said— he talks very _very_ fast, I must say. But anyways, I assume now, I will have to delegate most of my duties to other people for the time being."

And that was another quality of Richard's, a slow talker, but always seemed to piece his sentences together with mid-sentence revelations.

"Is there uh… anything I can do to help?"

Richard paused and looked around his office before speaking again, "As a matter of fact— yes."

xx


End file.
